GRR: Army
Easily the biggest women’s college game of the weekend, Army defeated Norwich 43-17 in a varsity shocker. The victory marked the first time that the West Pointers defeated the Cadets in 15s.
The Army Athletic Association chose Nicole Heavirland as its first Athlete of the Week for the fall 2015 season. It was a good selection considering that the Cadets’ 29-24 win over Quinnipiac headlined a very exciting weekend of college rugby (read more).
The second DI game of the varsity season occurred between Army and American International College yesterday, and the Cadets put themselves on the winning end of a thrilling 29-26 contest. The Yellow Jackets did well to overcome a two-try deficit in the first half and even briefly took the lead, but a 75th minute try gave the West Pointers the cushion they needed for the win.
Army is the new DI ACRA 7s champion, unseating Norwich after a 22-7 title bout. It’s tempting to focus on the victories over the Vermont side, which had won 63-straight 7s games entering this weekend’s championship, but the spotlight needs to shine on the West Pointers themselves. The hosts dominated the field and played a commanding, smart campaign to the title.
Last Saturday, five DI varsity programs convened in Providence, R.I., for the inaugural Varsity 7s tournament. Norwich was forecasted to win, and it did, but the Cadets did not cruise to the title.